Create a Strong Virtual Company Culture 

In times of turmoil, people find comfort in majority and collectivity. Companies and businesses are trying to muster not only the external but internal working of companies as the world changes around them. Looking inward, how strong is your company culture? 

Employees are actively assessing environments as company culture has shifted to virtual work-space environments. Actions taken in a time of distress are key in employee retention and satisfaction. It all starts with the maintenance of company culture and adaption to the virtual world.  

What is company culture and why is it important? 

Forbes accounts a strong company culture with identity, retention, and image. At the base of it, “It’s a good way to set and maintain the direction of your employees, and without it, it’s hard to keep your company’s values coherent.” Even though there are no set ways to execute a company culture, there are strong sets of values and positive outlooks that need to be upheld in order to be consistent and remain competitive. 

The corporate world has gone virtual and how your organization has made that switch makes an impression, not only on your employees but also possible prospects. A positive virtual company culture has an impact on your company image and succession pipeline. 
 

Dangers to Employers Who Don't Create a Positive Virtual Culture  

Plummeting employee retention. Workplace culture matters. If the virtual culture is lacking, employees may look elsewhere, which has become less challenging in some ways. Some barriers to switching jobs, like getting out for an interview or changing up a commute, have vanished. 

Productivity slumps. Employees stuck in a poor company culture are less likely to be motivated to stay productive or flex their schedules to account for any productivity losses.

Recruitment drops. The actions taken by your company reflect on your brand and reputation. If candidates hear of insufficient support, they will assume the company culture is not strong or positive and it diminishes chances of getting as many new hires.  

The combination of prioritizing, restructuring, and optimizing your virtual company culture therefore is one of the most important focuses and developments companies can take on right now. Here, we will go over tips on how to create a positive virtual company culture.  

Fostering Positive Virtual Company Culture 

1. Strengthen employee emotional intelligence. Improve connections with colleagues through team activities. Reduce misunderstanding, which is common due to the lack of face-to-face interaction, by encouraging open discussion and use of clear communication tactics (ex. Follow up emails, notes during meetings).
   
   
2. Practice proactive communication with your colleagues.  Check-in with no agenda. A key part of this is checking in, Inc. advises understanding how employees like to communicate and personalizing your communication to them. Some may prefer a more casual “how’s it going?” e-mail or chat, while others appreciate a quick video or phone call. Prioritize individual time to connect with employees personally, both through unscheduled and intentional check ins. 
   
   
3. Expect business leaders to lead by example.  Over communicate to ensure everyone feels connected, and ensure leaders are accessible in between scheduled meetings to support the team. In addition, matching leaders with mentees can help encourage collaboration and support outside an employee’s department and offer a natural connection point for mentorship conversations and some lighter personal connection. 
   
   
4. Ask the experts. Your employees are the best resource in identifying what might be lacking in your virtual team culture – so ask them. This encourages communication and deeper understanding of your employees one on one, therefore building trust.
   
   
5. Praise good work. When you can’t swing by someone’s desk to thank them for their good work, you’ll have to create avenues to praise virtual team members for a job well done. Celebrating successes – even small ones – has greater importance when everyone is remote, according to Slack. Offering a quick video “toast” to teammates for a win or taking turns recognizing other’s accomplishments can boost morale.
   
   
6. Use tools that encourage communication.  Whether it be Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Blue Jeans, or any other platform, make sure all employees are familiar the tools they have access to and can use them with ease, even the fun features.  
   
   
7. Implement a software solution that enables virtual connection.  Remote work can be challenging at times – connecting to coworkers shouldn’t be. By making connecting easy for employees with a software solution that facilities virtual mentoring or coaching, you can help employees stay engaged and happy, ultimately strengthening your virtual company culture. 

Whether your business is launching a new mentoring or coaching programing or transitioning an established program to a virtual version. Please contact us to request a demo and see for yourself how Insala can help you implement programs and tools establish a vibrant virtual company culture.